Donald Trump, under pressure, is raging on Twitter

In the turmoil, US President Donald Trump speaks Wednesday on the Ukrainian case at the origin of an impeachment procedure he now calls a “coup”.

Very aggressive on Twitter since his return from New York on Thursday, he largely dodged the questions on the merits of the case: the request made, by telephone, his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, who could be his opponent in 2020.

“Democrats-who-do-nothing should focus on our country, rather than waste everyone’s time and energy on CONNERIES,” he tweeted shortly before his conference. press, scheduled for 2 pm, in the salons of the White House.

On Sunday, the 45th President of the United States quoted a Baptist pastor who spoke of the risks of “civil war”. On Monday, he suggested arresting a Democratic elected for “treason”. On Tuesday, he denounced a “coup d’etat” against him.

“I come to the conclusion that what is happening is not an” impeachment “, it is a COUP D’ÉTAT, aimed at taking the power of the people, its vote, its freedoms, its second amendment (of the Constitution), his religion, his army, his wall at the border, and the rights given to him by God as a citizen of the United States of America! “, he ranted. .

Even on the scale of the former businessman’s decidedly provocative style, these words aroused stupefaction in Washington.

For Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, a course has been taken. Denouncing remarks aimed at “undermining the institutions,” he found “troubling” that Mr. Trump and his entourage “call a coup dismissal procedure even though the procedure is provided for in the Constitution.”

Determined to maintain the pressure, congressional Democrats threatened Wednesday to force the White House to provide them with documents they demand. The parliamentarians will formally send an order to the executive to deliver these documents on Friday, if it does not voluntarily abide by them.

“We’re not kidding here. We do not want this to drag on for months and months, as it seems to be the government’s strategy, “warned the Democratic chairman of the powerful Lower House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff.

For the time being, the President’s close circle seems determined to play the clock, his chief diplomat, Mike Pompeo, and his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, at the heart of this issue, refusing the timetable that they are trying to impose on them. congressional democrats.

PUTIN DEFENDS TRUMP

Considered one of the most influential members of the Trump administration, Mr. Pompeo was among the people who listened to the call with Mr. Zelensky.

Asked about the case, at a press conference in Rome, the Secretary of State, who was the subject of a formal injunction of three congressional committees to deliver them documents necessary for their investigation, let hover the doubt.

“We will of course fulfill our constitutional duty (…), but we will do it in coherence with the fundamental values ​​of the American system”, he replied, evasive.

“We will not tolerate individuals on Capitol Hill intimidating State Department employees,” he added.

The inspector general of the State Department will meet Wednesday afternoon, at his request, elected officials of the Congress, told AFP a parliamentary source. He should provide them with documents about Ukraine, according to US media.

Donald Trump, who assures that his summer phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky was not reprehensible, received Wednesday support that he would have probably done well: that of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I do not see anything compromising in the conversation between Trump and Zelensky,” he said. “Any head of state would have done the same thing,” he added, saying the US president’s political opponents were using “any pretext” to attack him.

Asked whether Russia intended to interfere in the 2020 presidential election, as it did in 2016 according to US intelligence, Putin joked.

“I’ll give you a secret: yes! We will do it without fail. But do not tell anyone, “said the Russian president to the applause of the room.